Hydraulic steering gear



Jan. 116, 1923. 1,442,546)

Uv F ROSS HYDRAULIC STEERING GEAR, FILED MAY 24. 1922 Patented Jan. 16,11923. I

UNHTEE) stares Parana cornice.

DAVID E. ROSS, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO ROSS GEAR & TOOLCOMPANY, OF LA. FAYETTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

HYDRAULIC STEERING GEAR.

Application filed May 24, 1922. Serial No. 563,421.

T all whom, it may concern: Fig. is a view illustrating the steering Beit known that I, DAVID E. Ross, a oitihead as applied directly to asteering wheel Zen of the United States, residing at La spindle-support.

Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and The invention residesprincipally in the 5 State of Indiana, have invented certain new novelapparatus for imparting rocking moand useful Improvements in Hydraulictlon by hydraulic pressure to a rock shaft, Steering Gears; and I herebydeclare that or other member, to be oscillated. In Fig. l the followingis a full, clear, and exact deof the drawings the rocking member isscript-ion thereof, reference being had to the shown as the rocker shaft1 of an automobile 10 accompanying drawings, which form part of steeringgear, said rock shaft having a steerthis specification. mg arm or crankl on one end which may This invention is a novel improvement in beconnected by the usual links 1 to the G5. steering gears for automobilesand the like, sual cranks S on the steering wheel spinin which the usualsteering shaft is preferdle-supports S.

1 5' ably operatively connected to a fluid pump As shown rock shaft 1 isjournaled in a by which fluid can be forced into a hydraulic cylindricextension 2 of a supporting casactuating apparatus operatively connecteding, preferably formed of two opposed comwith the steering wheels; sothat the manual plemental members 2 and 2; and one side turning of thesteering shaft right or left of member 2 from the bearing member 2 20will cause the desired shifting of the steerprojects axially outward asshown. The ing wheels. members 2 and 2 are formed or provided The objectof the invention is to provide in their opposed faces with annularchanan improved apparatus by which motion is nels, concentric with theaxis of the shaft transmitted from the steering wheel to the l and part2 which channels together 25 steering axle through a fluid actuatedinterform, when the parts are assembled, an anmediary, the parts beingso constructed that nular cylinder which is divided into two power willbe transmitted positively and working chambers by a partition 2 whichquickly from the steering head to the axle; may be formed integral withthe parts 2, 2 and there will be such amplification of power orseparately therefrom. Thep-arts 2 and 2 30 that the steering wheels maybe readily are preferably divided in the central plane shifted andsecurely held with no more exerof the cylinder so that the cylinder andtion on the part of the operator than is ordichambers A, B, C, can bereadily formed in narily required to operate mechanical steerthe meetingfaces of the members 2, 2 and ing gears. these members may be securelyfastened to- 35 To enable others skilled in the art to adopt gether inany desired manner. As shown and use the invention I will explain thethey are provided with peripheral flanges same with reference to theaccompanying united by bolts 2*. drawings which illustrate oneembodiment Fitted within the annular cylinder oppo--- thereof; andsummarize in the claims the site the partition is a curved piston 3which 40 essentials of the invention and novel feais concentric withshaft 1 and is adapted to tures of construction and novel combinationsmove endwise in the cylinder around the of parts for all of whichprotection is deaxis of shaft 1. Piston 3 extends about 280 sired.within the annular cylinder, and its ends In said drawings: 3 and 3 lieat opposite sides-of the partition 45 Fig.1 is a conventional plan viewof the 2 and should be suitably packed to form complete steeringapparatus as applied to fluid tight joints between the endsof the thesteering wheels of an automobile. piston and the walls of the cylinder.The

Fig. 2 is a view of the rocker shaft actuspaces in the cylinder betweenthe opposite ating devices with one side of the enclosing sides ofpartition 2 and opposite ends 3, 3

50 casing removed. of the piston form working chambers A Fig. 3 is asection on the line 33, Fig. 2. and B into WhlCh operating fluid,preferably Fig. 4: is a conventional sectional view of liquid, may beadmitted through suitable a ta y ar pump. ports 2 2, adJaCent partition2", as hereinafter explained. The piston 3, being concentric with shaft1, when it is shifted, by the admission of fluid into one chamber A (orB), will be moved endwise and force fluid out of the other chamber B (orA).

The piston 3 is fixedly connected to' a crank arm 1 on the end of therocker shaft 1 and within the casing; said casing being provided with asegmental chamber G (formed by suitable opposed recesses in the members2, 2) which permits the arm 1 to swing right or left according to themovement of the piston As shown the fluid is admitted to or from thechamber A through a port 2 formed in the casing adjacent the partition2"; and fluid is admitted to or from the chamber l3 through a port 2formed in the casing adjacent the partition. The actuating fluid may besupplied from any suitable source preferably by a pump 4'. one port ofthe pump 4 being shown as connected by a pipe 4 to port 2, and the port2 being connected by a pipe 4 with the other port of the pump 4;

The fluid pump 4: may be of any suitable construction. As shown itcomprises a casing in which are fitted two rotary intermeshing pumpgears 4 and 4 which together practically fill the casing and preventcommunication between the pipes 4 and 4: except around the gears, as in.fluid gear pumps. The fluid can be admitted to the pump through pipe 4and expelled through pipe 4 or vice versa. The gears should be so fittedin the casing that practically no oil or fluid can leak between thegears, and all the fluid containing parts and their con nections shouldbe such that no oil or fluid can leak therefrom even when under greatpressure.

Preferably a steering shaft 5 is connected to gear 4 of the pump, sothat the pump can be operated directly and manually by the steeringshaft. As the opposite ports of the pump are directly in communicationwith the opposite chambers A and B it will be seen that if the steeringgear be turned clockwise fluid will be expelled through the pipe 4f intochamber A, and simultaneously drawn into the pump from chamber B; andvice versa; such action of the fluid will compel the piston 8 to movearound in the annular cylinder and rock the shaft 1.

The parts should be so proportioned that the amount of fluid necessaryto be displaced in order to move the piston 3 a certain distance, wouldrequire a pre-.

determined extent of rotary movement of the steering shaft and pumpgears; and by properly proportioning the size, and teeth of the saidgears and the diameter of the bore of the cylinder, and chambers A and Brelative to the extreme length of stroke which may be imparted to thearm 1 it will be possible to so augment the power transmitted from thewheel to the piston through the fluid medium, that the arm 1, to whichthe steering wheels are connected, will be moved and held with thenecessary 'power and positiveness to enable the vehicle to be controlledsafely and easily from the steering wheel. The drawings do notillustrate the relative proportions of parts but those skilled in theart can readily determine the arrangement and proportions necessary toobtain the desired augmentation of power, or reduction of speed, betweenthe steering wheel and the rocker shaft.

The pump casing, the pipes, port and cylinder should be kept constantlyfilled with heavy fluid so that any movement imparted to the pump gearswill be immediately correspondingly transmitted, with the properaugmentation of power to the piston 3. The pump chambers may be keptfull of oil and any possible leakage compensated for by any suitablemeans.

The casing may be supported on the chassis in any suitable manner, beingconventionally illustrated in Fig. 1 as supported v upon the front axle7 of the chassis.

As shown in Fig. 5 the casing 2 could be mounted on the bifurcated end 7of the axle 7 above the steering wheel spindle-support S and the shaft 1be directly connected to the said spindle-sup ort, to which the frontwheel. is attached. This would do away with the arm 1 and steeringconnections between said arm and the wheels. In such case I wouldpreferably connect such a device to one of the steering wheelspindlesupports and connect both supports together by means of a singlerod 1, and cranks S.

I claim:

1. A hydraulic steering gear having adjacent working chambers end to endcurved on arcs concentric with the rocker shaft: a rocker shaft; pistonmembers in the working chambers connected with the rock shaft and movingin arcs concentric thereto; and means for admitting fluid into onechamber and simultaneously exhausting it from the other, whereby therocker shaft is rocked; with a fluid pump; a steering shaft foractuating the pump and connections between opposite ports of the pumpand the respec tive working chambers, substantially as described.

2. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a .casing havingadjacent working chambers arranged end to end and curved on arcsconcentric with a rocker shaft; a rocker shaft mounted in the cas ng;piston members in the working chambers connected with the rock shaft andmoving in arcs concentric thereto, and means for admitting fluid intoone chamber and simultaneously exhausting it from another, a fluid pump.a steering shaft for actuating the pump, and

connections between opposite ports of the pump andthe respective workingchambers, substantially as described.

- 3. In apparatus of the character specified a casing having an annularcylinder, a partition therein dividing it into opposite workingchambers, a parti-annular piston in said cylinder having its oppositeends entering the opposite working chambers, a rocker shaft mounted inthe casing having its axis concentric with the curvature of thecylinder, a connection between said rocker shaft and the piston, andmeans for admitting fluid to or from the working chambers so as to causethe piston to turn endwise in the cylinder, and thereby rock the shaft.

4. In a hydraulic steering gear as set forth in claim 3 a fluid pump, asteering shaft for actuating the pump and connections between oppositeports of the pump and the respective working chambers, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a hydraulic steerin gear, a casing composed of opposite mem ershaving recesses in their opposed faces forming opposite working chamberscurved on an arc con-f centirc with the axis of a rocker shaft, a rockershaft with annular piston members confined in the opposite workingchambers, an arm attached to the rocker shaft, and connected with thepiston members; said casing members being provided with; recesses topermit the oscillation of said arm; and means for admitting fluid to orfrom said working chambers.

6. In a hydraulic steering gear as set forth in claim 5 a fluid pump, asteering shaft and wheel for actuating the fluid pump, and connectionsbetween opposite ports of the pump and the ports of the said workingchambers, substantially as described.

7. In hydraulic steering gear, a casing composed of opposite membershaving recesses in their opposed faces forming an annular cylinder, arocker shaft journaled in said casing having its axis concentric withthe annular cylinder; a transverse partition in said cylinder dividingit into opposite working chambers; a parti-annular piston in saidcylinder having its ends projecting into the opposite working chambers,an arm attached to the rocker shaft within the casing, and connectedwith the piston, said members being provided with recesses to permit theoscillation of said arm; and, means for admitting fluid to or from saidworking chambers.

8. In ahydraulic steering gear as set forth in claim 7, a fluid pump, asteering shaft for actuating the pump and connections between oppositeports of the pump and the respective working chambers, substantially asdescribed.

9. In hydraulic steering gear, a casing composed of opposite membershaving recesses in their opposed faces forming an annular cylinder, apartition in said cylinder dividing it into opposite working chambers, arocker shaft journaled in said casing having its axis concentric withthe annular cylinder, a parti-annular piston in said cylinder'having itsends projecting into opposite working chambers, an arm attached to arock shaft Within the casing and fixedly connected with the piston, saidmembers being provided with recesses in their opposed faces-forming achamber to permit the oscillation of said arm; and means for admittingfluid to or from said Working chambers.

10. In combination with a hydraulic steering gear asset forth in claim 2a fluid pump, a-steering shaft and wheel for actuating the fluid pump,and connections be tween opposite ports of the pump and the respectiveports of said working chambers, substantially as described.

11. In a hydraulic steering gear as set forth in claim 2, said casingbeing pivotally fixed to an axle adjacent the steering wheelspindle-support, and said rocker shaft being connected to the steeringwheel spindle-support. 7 I

12. In a hydraulic steering gear as set forth in claim 3, said casingbeing pivotally fixed to an axle adjacent the steering wheel spindlesupport and said rocker shaft being connected to the steering wheelspindle-support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature.

DAVID E. ROSS.

